Sign display frame



Dec. 12, 1950 w. A. ECKHARDT SIGN DISPLAY FRAME Filed June 17. 1946 Patented Dec. 12, 1950 SIGN DISPLAY FRAME William A. Eckhardt, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Clogg Company, Baltimore, Md.

Application June 17, 1946, Serial No. 677,180

2 Claims.

This invention relates to signs, and more particularly to signs of the general class including a marginal frame constructed or equipped to mount interchangeable or replaceable display or poster sheets.

Signs of this general class frequently are used for advertising changing or fluctuating prices of commodities such as gasoline, or for advertising difierent goods from time to time. The advertisin changes require frequent replacing of the display or poster sheets.

One conventional type of sign of the class referred to includes a metal sheet or plate on which the poster sheets are pasted, and from which they can be removed only by being soaked or scraped off, which is troublesome and requires considerable time. It has been proposed heretofore to provide signs equipped with means for mounting and holding poster sheets without the use of adhesive, but such signs have had disadvantages, the overcoming of which is a general object of this invention.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign of the general character referred to comprising a marginal frame including or being provided with improved means for mounting and securing a poster sheet or sheets within the confines of the frame and in a manner permitting easy removal and replacement of the sheet or sheets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign of the kind referred to which is so constructed as to enable a flexible poster sheet or flexible poster sheets to be inserted edgewise and drawn into the frame between clamping means adapted to be set in operative clamping position, and subsequently easily released for permitting replacement of the sheet or sheets with a minimum of effort.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sign embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the sign shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged scale vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing two relatively movable frame members in relatively closed or clamped position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view ShOWillg parts also illustrated at the top of Figure 3, and showing the frame members in relatively separated or unclamped position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail elevation showing a frame member corner construction; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged scale horizontal section on the line 6-45 of Figure 1.

The sign shown for the purpose of illustration is of a well known kind generally known as a sidewalk display sign and includes a stand A and a frame assembly B pivotally mounted on the stand A by means of pins l. The stand A may be of any suitable or conventional construction and, in the form shown, it includes :a base consisting of two side feet 2 connected by spaced cross bars 3, and two upright side members or standards 4--4. The frame assembly B is positioned between the standards 4-4 with the pivotal pins connected to the assembly B somewhat above its center of gravity, the arrangement being such that normally the frame assembly will hang in a vertical position with freedom, however, for turning about the pins i-l when subjected to strong wind pressure, thereby preventin the sign from being blown over. The general organization of construction of the sign as described thus far is well known, the invention residing more particularly in the com struction of the frame assembly B and its cooperative relationship to parts carried by the frame assembly B.

The frame assembly B, shown as embodying the invention in a preferred form, includes two relatively separable rectangular marginal frame members 5 and 6 adapted to be pulled together to closed position by clamping or fastening means comprising four wing head bolts 1 and wing nuts 8. A floating plate or stiff backing sheet is adapted to be clamped between the frame members 5 and 6 with poster sheets it and H disposed between opposite faces of the backing sheet 9 and clamping portions on the members 5 and 5 respectively. Preferably the construction and relative arrangement of the parts is such that the poster sheets l5 and l I can be inserted edgewise from one boundary of the frame and then drawn between the clamping parts on the frame members 5 and 6, after which the clamping bolts and nut l and 8 are tightened to effect clamping of the poster sheets and the plate 9 securely in fixed relation to the frame assembly B.

In the preferred construction illustrated, the frame member 5 is assembled from straight sections forming a bottom, two vertical sides, and a top. The bottom and both sides include outer edge or flange portions l2 which are perpendicular to the general plane of the sign, or more particularly the plane of the plate 9, and inwardly directed flanges or sheet holding or clamping parts is connected to the flanges i2 by curved parts M as shown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the top of the frame member 5 includes a clamping part 63 and curved part id but has no flange corresponding to the flanges 12 on the bottom and sides of the member 5.

The frame member 6 is generally similar to the frame member 5, but may be of somewhat lighter construction, and includes an assembly comprising a bottom, two vertical sides and a top. The bottom and sides include outer edges or flanges l5 in planes perpendicular to the plane of the sheet or plate 9, and inwardly directed flanges or sheet holding parts it connected to the flanges l5 by curved parts i! as shown in Figures 3 and. 6.

The top part of the member 6 includes a sheet 3 to the generalplane of the sign, and are guided for relative separating and closing movements, It will beseen that the clamping parts ifiand l8 are disposed on opposite side of the backing of the sheet or plate 9 so that by drawing the membars 5 and E2 together, the plate 9 may be clamped or held securely.

Preferably a cover plate It welded as at it to the frame member 5 extends across and is spaced above the tops of the members 5 and *5 so as to prevent rain from falling between the top parts of the frame members. The tops of the frame members are so shaped and disposed with refer ence to the plate 9 as to provide sheet entrance slots 28 and 2!.

In order to position and secure poster sheets within the confinesof the frame assembly and in face-to-face contact with the sheet ii, the wins nuts 3 are loosened and the frame members 5 and 6 are moved apart to the positions shown in FigureS. A roll of poster sheet shown at 22 in Figure 4 is held close to the slot 25 and the poster sheet edge is inserted through the slot and moved downwardly between the plated and clamping part it so as to project a little below the parts it atthe top of the frame member 5. The protruding lower edge of the poster sheet pin is then grasped and drawn downwardly while the roll 22 is unwound, the operation being generally similar to the lowering of an ordinary window shade. The side edges of the sheet it will be drawn downwardly between the side clamping parts it until the lower edge of the sheet i6 is positioned between the plate 9 and the sheet holding part :5 at the bottom of the frame member 6. The sheet H is inserted by a similar operation through sl'ot 28 so as to be positioned between clamping parts i3 of the frame member 5 and the plate 5. Then the nuts 3 are tightened. to the frame members 5 and 6 together so as to clamp the poster sheets i9 and H securely in faceto-face relationship with the backing sheet 9.

In order to replace the poster sheets lll'and i i with sheets bearing other advertising matter, the nuts 8 are first loosened, and the sheets ill and H are withdrawn edgewise through the slots 2i! iii Til dicated at 24. Other methods of connecting the individual parts could be used, and it will be understood that although the sign construction shown embodies the invention in its preferred form, some changes may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a sign, two substantially rectangular frame members each including a bottom, two sides, and a top; a relatively stiff sheet positioned between said frame members, the bottoms and sides of said frame members having mutually engaging means for maintaining said members against substantial relative shifting in the gen eral plane of the sign and guiding said members for relative separating and closing movement at an angle to said plane, said members having on their four sides opposed clamping means adjacent opposite faces of said relatively stiff sheet, the tops of said frame members being flared to provide entrance slots between the respective flared tops and saidrelatively stiff sheet when said frame members are in separated relationship, whereby two poster sheets'm'ay be inserted through said slots respectively and drawn down within the confines of the frame members and between said relatively stiff sheet and the clamping means on the bottomsand sides of the respective frame members; a cover plate connected to one of said frame members and extending across and spaced above the tops of said frame members; and mean for drawing said frame members together to clamp said posterisheets against opposite faces of said relatively stifi sheet.

2. In a sign, two oppositely disposed rectangular frame members having registering windows, bounded on four sides by complementary opposed clamping flanges, the outer portion of each of said clamping flanges being bent transversely, to formwith its opposite flange, a continuous, substantially tubular marginal frame, the outer edges of the opposed flanges forming the bottom and vertical sides of the frame, terminating in telescopically engaging guide walls extending perpendicularly to the general plane of the sign, the outer edges of the opposed flanges forming the top side of said frame, being spaced apart to provide an open, poster sheet receiving mouth, a cover plate connected to one of said frame members and extending across and spaced above said mout. a relatively stiff'backing sheet positioned between said clamping flanges and extending into said tubular frame, and means for drawing said frame members together to clamp poster sheets against opposite faces of said backing sheet.

WILLIAM A. ECKHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kaplan Jan. 9, 1940 

